Climbing That Freelance Ladder

In my humble opinion, it is crucial to keep moving forward in the freelance writing biz. It is all too easy to get caught up in low-paying projects that don’t get you any further as a professional. While I understand that one needs to pay the bills, this fact needs to be balanced with the idea that some time invested in moving up the ladder is well spent. It can be scary, but it’s worth the risk.

Now. I don’t advise this in some cases. If you are just starting out, it takes time to get your legs underneath you. Keep writing. Establish contacts. Work hard. When you feel comfortable, it’s a sign that you should push a bit harder. Don’t get complacent, but don’t risk too much either. If you are just starting out as a “full-timer,” you may want to be sure you can make the bills before reaching up for higher pay.

That said, I can say that I’ve known many freelance writers who underestimate themselves and stay in low-paying gigs when they could be making better money and getting published in bigger markets. These people are good writers and they just kind of get stuck in a rut. Don’t let this be you.

Resolve to do something each week that moves you forward in this game. Send out a query to a bigger market than you normally would. Put together a letter of introduction and start mailing it out to editors. Search for new markets and new work. If you can make the time to do this, you’ll be climbing that ladder in short order. Invest in yourself and stop treading water. It really works.